Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-05-14
OLD KENTUCKY.
Speeches Of Mr.. Carlisle and Mr.. Waiter
son In the State Convention In Louis
vile on the 4th Of May-The Plat
form Adopted.
lCourIer..Journal.l
Mr.. Carlisle's speech. IAN extractl

This is simply a State Conven-
tion, but the Democracy of Kentucky
constitutes an integral part of the
whole Democracy of the country, and
it has right as such to define its
position on all public questions.
Political parties are not formed upon
local or State issues, butupon general
questions affecting the Interests of
the whole country, and upon these
questions 1t is the duty of the
Democrats of Kentucky to speak
their sentiments in order that their
brethren everywhere may know
where they stand. Fortunately our
organization is not confined to any
one section Of the country; our creed
is not affected by degrees of latitude
or longitude. 1t is not necessary for
a Kentucky Democrat when he visits
the North or East, or for a Northern
or Eastern Democrat when he visits
Kentucky, to disguise his opinions or
apologize for them. What he is at
home he is everywhere. Great
cheering). No man who seeks honor
at the hands Of the Democracy would
venture TO say in the North what he
would not say in the South, or in the
South what he would not say in the
North. He could not have one set
Of political opinions for use in Ten
nessee and another for use in Ohio
one for Virginia and another for
Maine. (Applause). We are not
embarrassed, therefore by our locali-
ty or by our relati to political
friends elsewhere, ana even if we
were, we should not hesitate to
declare our honest convictions. If
we believe that taxes should be i'm
posed for public purposes only, and
that the expenditures of the Govern
ment should be reduced to the very
lowest point compatible with main
tenance of our efficient public service
so that the burdens upon the people
may be made as light as possible, let
us say so, and not destroy the mean
ing or weaken the force of our
declaration by multiplicity of
words, or long array Of ambiguous
phrases. If we believe that the tax
es should be reduced or abolished
upon the necessaries of life, rather
than upon luxuries, lei us say so;
and upon every other subject on
which we consider it necessary or
proper to express an opinion, whether
it be State or a Federal question
whether it be question of principle
or a question of policy-fet us be
equally clear and explicit. The
question of Federal taxation, how
ever, is one which demands the
immediate attention of the peoples
representatives, and it is one, there
fore, upon which the people them
selves can not afford to be silent.
lApplause.) Although our matured
Indebtedness is nearly discharged
and there is considerable surplus in
the Treasury, the people are making
forced contributions to the Govern
ment to the amount of about one
million dollars each day, and under
existing laws they must continue to
do so. Unless the revenues shall be
promptly reduced, the earnings of the
people, taken from them by unneces-
sary'and unjust taxation, will accu-
mulate in the hands of the Govern.
ment and be boarded in the vaults
of the Treasury at the rate of not less
than SIC, 100000 per month, and il
requires no gift of prophesy to foresee
that this must inevitably produce a
monetary crisis which win paralyze
all business enterprises, throw labor
out of employment and bring disaster
upon all the industrial interests OF
the country. If the revenue are moi
reduced there are but two ways ir
which these results an be avoided
One way is to one this surplus in the
purchase of outstanding, unmatured
bonds at high premium-at any
price in fact which the holders OF
those securities may see proper tC
demand for them. The other way is
to inaugurate a system ofunnecessary
and extravagant expenditures by the
Government, and thus get the money
of the people back into the channels
of trade. (Applause.)
There are many of us who believe
tina. a large part of this money
every dollar of 1t, in fact, which il
not necessary to defray the Legitimate
expenses Of the Government ant
meet its inst obligations, ought to bt
left in the hands of the people wh(
earn 1t by their labor and by theil
skill In the prosecution of their bust
ness. We deny that the Govern
ment has moral or legal right tC
take one dollar Of the peoples money
unless it Is necessary for some proper
public purpose; we deny the wisdom
and justice of the policy which i'm
poses taxes upon one part of the peo
pie simply for the purpose of enabling
another part to realize larger profit.
in their private business; and we in
sist that the predominance of this un
wise and unjust policy in our revenu'
and financial systems has heretofor,
constituted and still constitutes tn,
principal, If not the only, obstacle II
the way Of a proper reduction o
taxation. If it were not for thi
policy no public man in the countr,
would be so reckless as to contend
\ for the imposition of taxes upon tn,
people beyond the actual necessitie
Of the Government. :
The Democratic party stand
pledged in the most solemn manne
to revise the tariff, reduce the rev
enue and Tighten the burdens of the